What She Needs Most
by CrimsonWillow
Summary: Severus Snape thought he was a free man, that was until a social services lady knocked on his door and handed him a two year old child. A two year old child that shares his genetics. He needs help raising this child, serious help.
1. Chapter 1

"What makes you think that this child is mine?" A deep baritone spat, looking down at an obviously scared child – a little girl to be precise. At just two years old she didn't understand that her mother had been killed in a car accident.  
Severus Snape had only had sexual relations with two women, one a Muggle and the other a witch. Judging from this little girl's characteristics – she had his dark eyes with tiny flecks of her mother's deep sapphire blue eyes, glossy black curls and healthy pale skin – and the way her mother died, he expected the toddler's mother to be the muggle.  
A female's voice broke the professor from his thoughts, "I assure you she is your daughter Mr Snape. We have done tests confirming this."  
"I want to see the results." He ordered, almost angrily.

Twenty minutes prior to this conversation, Severus was sitting in his living room in his Spinner's End home, reading a potions journal. When the knock came at the door, he grumbled slightly, standing up and walking through the hallway and to the front door. Discretely holding his wand at the ready, he opened the door, answering it with a sullen sneer that would ward off any first year… or hopefully the person that had sought to disturb his personal time. Instead, he was greeted with a professional smile of a young blonde haired witch, cradling a little girl to her hip, the child's glossy, black curls covering the woman's shoulders.

"Hello, Mr Snape I would presume? I am Belinda from Social Services, may I come in?" She asked, smiling at him with a smile that would have any man swooning… but not Severus Snape, he just frowned at her, giving her his most frightening glare.  
"Your presumption would be correct. No you may _not _come in. Now what do you want? " He snapped, earning a slight whimper from the child.  
"I wish to inform you, Mr Snape, that this child is your daughter. Her mother passed away in a car accident. A woman by the name of Imogen Butler, you do know her, do you not?"

Of course he knew her, how could he forget? Sapphire blue eyes that glittered in the light, long dark brown hair that curled into ringlets and beautiful pale skin with a light smattering of freckles across her nose. Imogen Butler, from Green Lanes in London, his first Muggle sexual relation. He figured that she would be on the pill or something so didn't bother worrying about contraception. Foolish… Very foolish indeed.

"Mr Snape…. Mr Snape?" He could hear a voice breaking him from his thoughts, an annoying voice.  
Coming back to reality, he glared at her, annoyed when she kept smiling.  
"Yes?" He drawled silkily.  
"She is your daughter, is she not?" The woman asked again.

Which is where he was now – Looking at test results proving that he is the child's father. He was her _father_… He looked at the frightened little girl clinging to the Social Services lady. She looked eager to hand her over to him.

"Are you able to take her now? If you don't she will end up in an orphanage. " She told him, almost impatiently, not-so subtly looking at her watch.  
Thinking about how withdrawn Tom Riddle became in an orphanage almost made Snape shiver, even if this child wasn't his he couldn't let it go to an orphanage. They were cruel, dirty places, especially for young girls.  
"I can take her now…." He grumbled, looking at his child.

Almost as quickly as she could, she handed him the light, skinny and probably malnourished child. The light weight felt odd in his arms as he looked awkwardly at the young toddler. She was probably no more than eighteen months old.  
"What is her name, date of birth, allergies and blood-type?" Severus asked, wanting to know the necessities before he took the child under his wing.  
"It is all in the folder I have right…" Belinda pulled out her wand and discretely cast _Engorgio _on a folder and the toddler's Pooh Bear overnight bag. "Here." She finished, handing him the folder and the bag.

"I must go now, Mr Snape. Good day." The witch nodded before running to a dark alley way and disapparating with a loud resounding 'crack'.

Looking back down at the young child he sighed shakily and loudly. He hadn't been this stressed since the Final Battle, and that was over two years ago. Silently cursing, Snape closed his front door and stalked back to the living room, plopping the slumbering child onto the sofa. Taking another long look at the girl he frowned angrily and stormed to the fireplace, taking some floo powder and calling into the Headmistress' office.  
"Minerva, it is urgent. Come right through."

It hadn't been two minutes and Minerva McGonagall was standing in his living room, dusting herself of in a very lady-like manner. She hadn't aged at all since the battle, considering all the stress from rebuilding the castle and whatnot.

"What is it Severus? You said it was urgent. Is something wrong?" Her thick Scottish accent was back and it calmed him slightly.  
"That." He told her, pointing straight at the sleeping toddler.  
Minerva gasped softly, clapping a hand over her mouth.  
"Severus… Is she?" Being tongue-tied was rare for the Headmistress, but when it happened, it meant that things were bad. Incredibly bad.  
"Yes… I think so… Yes." He murmured, almost inaudibly as he averted his gaze, looking at the walls lined with books.  
"Her name?"  
"I… Don't know." He sighed, visibly traumatised as he went to the folder that the social services lady gave him.  
_Name: Annaliese Rose Butler  
Date of Birth: 9__th__ June 1999  
Blood Type: O-  
Blood Status: Half-blood  
Allergies: None  
YOU WILL FIND THE FOLLOWING IN ANNALIESE'S BAG:  
- A small plush dog by the name of Taska.  
-A thick woollen blanket (her mother made it)  
- Diapers  
-Clothes  
-Several toys. _

Severus scanned the page for more words , hoping that there might be instructions on how to parent a toddler. He was used to teenagers, but a toddler was a completely different story.

/Did you like it? Please let me know. Hermione will be introduced later on, but I just want to know whether or not I should keep going…  
Thanks for the support!


	2. Chapter 2

Minerva looked at the dozing child and then back at Severus, her eyes glazed with worry. She had never seen the look of complete and utter helplessness in his obsidian eyes before.  
"What happened to her mother, Severus?" The older woman asked him quietly, taking a seat in one of the comfortable green arm chairs.  
"She's dead." He whispered softly, not wanting the child to wake up yet.  
Minerva's gasp could be heard before she got a chance to mask it with a cough.  
"How?"  
"Muggle car accident." His answers were short and snappy as he continued to watch the girl – his daughter.

Minerva was at Spinner's End for half an hour before she excused herself politely and made her way to the fireplace.  
"Severus, if you need anything just call me." Bidding him goodbye and looking at the child with sad eyes, Minerva threw the floo powder down, calling out her destination.

Severus sat down with his head in his hands, not knowing what to do with the child. _Would she be frightened when she woke up? What does she eat? How do I change a diaper? _

Not wanting her to be afraid when she woke up, Severus opened the 'Winnie thePooh' bag that came with her. Taking out her plush dog and placing it next to her, he takes out the blanket and drapes it awkwardly over her malnourished form before walking into the kitchen quietly .

Thinking back to how malnourished his child was he rummaged through the dark cupboards and refrigerator for vegetables, pasta and something nice for dessert. Taking out some spinach, tomatoes, onion, garlic, carrot and zucchini he started on a pasta sauce. His plan was to have something ready for dinner and then he could keep her entertained by letting her watch him make dessert. It sounded ridiculous, but it was the only plan he had.

Severus began finely slicing the garlic, dicing the carrot, onion, tomato and zucchini and cooking the minced beef before putting a small amount of shredded spinach in the food to boost Annaliese's immune system and hopefully give her a decent meal. Once the sauce was happily simmering away, he made some home-made spaghetti and set some water, butter and salt to boil.  
As soon as he had finished cooking their dinner he made his way to the table and sat down. It was only then that everything sunk in. _I have a daughter… A child living with me… What if I do it wrong? What if she hates me?  
_  
He had never been one for doubting himself; he didn't have time for it as a spy. But now that he has a child in his living room, he was starting to have second thoughts. Thinking back to her mother, Severus sighed.  
_Was she in the accident too? Did she watch her mother die? Imogen's family abandoned her when they found out that she had become a whore to make it through university. Which reminds me… I didn't pay her for that night. Maybe she enjoyed it too much to charge me… _He smirked to himself, his thoughts trailing off to their night together. Open mouthed kisses, gentle caresses, soft whispers, dark chuckles and loud moans followed by removal of clothing, foreplay and then the deed. He managed to reduce her to a quivering mess with just his words and a finger.

A cry snapped him out of his reverie, a small scared one. Not knowing what to do he just sat there for a few seconds before making his way into the warm living room to the young girl. She was sitting on the sofa, her puppy _Taska _cuddled in her arms as she whimpered softly, looking around for her mother.  
As soon as she saw him her eyes grew bigger and more afraid. She grabbed her small puppy and tried to run from him, letting out a blood curdling scream when she realised that he had blocked the only exit from the room.  
Approaching her slowly as she cowered in the corner, Severus knelt down to her height and sat on the floor in front of her, surprised when she hesitantly got up on shaky legs and approached him. He held out his arms for her and she backed away.  
"Annaliese, are you hungry?" Severus asked softly, trying his hardest not to sound frustrated at he looked at his small child.  
"Noo…" Annaliese replied in her little voice. She was hungry, but 'no' was the only word she knew, apart from 'mum' and 'Taska' which she pronounced as 'Taka'.  
Moving closer to him she plops herself into his lap, surprising him even more than she already had.  
"Well you will be eating anyway." He almost grumbled, but then remembered how scared she still was.

Taking her into the kitchen, she looked around at her surroundings. There was a big table on the dark marble floors, a large marble bench-top with spices and herbs ordered in alphabetical order. A small oven could be seen, along with a sink and disposal with a magnetic knife holder above it, pots and pans that hung from the ceiling and a few cook books adorning a small bookshelf in the far right corner.  
Annaliese didn't pay attention to detail, all she saw was a bookshelf with books she could later tear, walls that she could draw on and a big table with a small bowl on it. And chocolate on the bench.

"Ooooh." She tells Severus, pointing at the chocolate and licking her lips as he transfigured a normal chair into a high chair and making the fork smaller so that she could feed herself.  
"If you eat all your dinner, then you can watch me make dessert." The man told her sternly, earning a dropped bottom lip and a small cry. Not knowing what to do he began patting her gently on the back like he'd seen Narcissa do with Draco when he was a baby. This seemed to calm her down, so he sat her in the high-chair and she smiled toothily at the food, eagerly taking her fork and feeding herself. She gave a small, full mouthed smile of approval before putting more in her mouth, dropping it onto her clothes.  
"Noo!" She grumbled, frowning at the pasta, picking it up and placing it into her mouth.

Severus studied her as he ate his own meal, giving her a small smile as she scolded the pasta.


	3. Chapter 3

He had never been so confused. Looking at the diaper and then at the child he tried to figure out how to put it on her. She had done the easy part and taken it off herself. _Do the tabs go at the front or at the back? Perhaps the picture goes towards the front… _He thought to himself, holding the small diaper up to look at it for what felt like the fiftieth time.  
Taking out his wand, he made sure she was clean and then tried to put the diaper on. The tabs were at the front, but as soon as she Annaliese stood up the diaper fell down, earning a small whimper from the child. _I need to do it tighter…  
_Annaliese lied back down on the warm carpet in front of the fire, waiting for the strange man in front of her to fix the diaper.  
Tightening the diaper straight away, Severus smirked at it. Sure, it was a little wonky, but he was proud of it nevertheless.

Almost as soon as Severus was finished with the tiny diaper, Annaliese let out a tiny yawn. He had spent enough time with Narcissa, Lucius and Draco to know that a child this young needed a bottle of warm milk before bed.  
Leaving the young child in the living room, he went into the kitchen thinking that she would be safe if she was left alone. Taking a goblet out of the cupboard, he took his wand out and transfigured it onto a bottle.

After he had poured milk in the bottle and warmed it up, he went back into the living room to find Annaliese pulling pages out of a potions journal.  
A look of contorted anger crossed his face as he watched the child play with the parchment that she had already torn out.  
"Annaliese… No." He said lowly, almost snarling.  
Annaliese looked up at him, seeing his anger she stood up and ran on wobbly legs to the opposite side of the room, screaming at him.  
"Mummy! Mummy!" She cried, seeing him approach.  
Severus' anger slowly came down as he saw how scared she was. He sighed and opened his arms to her, kneeling down on the floor in front of the child. The now-calm man held his arms out further, hoping to get his frightened daughter to come closer. When she flinched away from him, he realised that she had obviously been abused by a man. Severus picked up the warm milk bottle and held it to her, slowly luring the child into his arms. As soon as she had the bottle in her hands, she tried to run from Severus, her black curls bouncing as she struggled.  
Another strangled scream was ripped from Annaliese's lips as she struggled to escape the man's hold. Trying to escape for two minutes had tired her out, so now she just sat whimpering as she put her bottle in her mouth.

"It's alright, I won't harm you…" The girl heard a soothing voice murmur softly as black-clad arms cradled her small frame. Soon after her bottle, she fell asleep. Severus transfigured the sofa into a cot and placed her in it with her warm woollen blanket and plush dog. With a sigh, he went back to his armchair and sat down with his head in his hands.

_The poor child was so afraid of me. How do I find out if she was abused? There has to be an easier way than Legillimency. Her memories wouldn't be properly developed anyhow. I also need to find out if she was in the accident with her mother… Maybe I should track down some muggle newspaper articles…_

Severus had started pacing, he didn't want to leave her alone in the room just in case she woke up, but he needed to track down some newspaper clippings. Kneeling down on the hearth, he called the Headmistress' office.  
"Minerva." He called into the floo.  
The Headmistress' head popped into the red-hot embers of the fire, "Severus, what has happened?"  
"She is asleep. I need to go out and research some things. Are you able to watch her sleep?" The dark man asked, turning to look at Annaliese, making sure she was still asleep.  
"Step back, I am coming through."  
Doing as he was told, Severus took a step back, running a hand through his long hair. He was anxious about what he'd find out about his child, he was also worried about what he would do if she was abused. In the past couple of hours, he had noticed that she was overly skinny, wore clothes that were far too small for her and was abused in some sort of way. He would check tomorrow.

Someone clearing their throat broke Severus from his thoughts. He looked up from his hands to find Minerva standing beside him with her hair down and a warm cloak on. She had a sympathetic look on her face, her eyes betraying sadness for the little girl. Slowly, Minerva reached out to place a hand on the man's shoulder, but he took a step back out of her reach.

"I am going out to find some newspaper clippings. I need to know if she was involved in the accident. She is afraid of me too… Every time I approach her at my full height, she screams. It's not a sad cry, it is a terrified scream." He started off stern and then towards the end of his sentence, he grew sad and worried. Minerva had never seen him looking so under the weather since the Final Battle.  
"If she wakes up, I will give her a bath and transfigure some new clothes for her. I assume she has eaten?"  
"Yes, the child has eaten." The man sneered, glaring at her, "I have to go now."  
Once Minerva nodded at him, he stormed towards the door, taking his winter cloak off the coat stand and slamming the door on his way out.

The older woman flinched when she heard the door slam and then looked to see if the small child was still asleep.  
_Please let this make Severus a better person. He deserves happiness after all he has done for us. _


	4. Chapter 4

When Hermione got the news of Imogen's death she was shattered, reduced to a sobbing mess in her aunt Rose's arms. News paper clippings were spread out over the coffee table in front of her. Pictures of a mangled up white wagon and a busted tree with police carrying a body bag adorned the paper. Headlines screaming the words "WOMAN KILLED IN HORROR CRASH". Tears streamed down her heart-shaped face as she looked at the clippings. Reading through the faded articles with rapid speed Hermione's eyes widened. _Annaliese… Where on earth is my God-daughter!  
_"Rose… Did you hear about Annaliese? Where is she?" She asked with a slight bossy tone to her voice. The younger female's hands come up to wipe the tears from her face, she was shaking and a little anxious.  
"She is with her father dear." Was Rose's calm reply.  
"Her father? She doesn't have a father!" Hermione said fiercely, frowning deeply. Her goddaughter didn't have a father… well of course she did, but Imogen didn't know who it was, or did she?  
"Don't be daft Hermione, of course she does. His name is Severus Snape. The social services lady took her to him." Rose said sternly, her short brown curly hair surrounding her pudgy face. She looked almost like Susan Boyle, almost.  
"SEVERUS SNAPE!? Severus Snape is Annaliese's father? Bullshit." She told her aunt, standing up and raking her hands through her unmanageable mousy hair. That couldn't be right. Snape, a father? No. Snape, the git that saved the Wizarding world. That was more like it.  
"I have to go." The girl muttered, walking out of the light blue room and into an off-white passageway to the front door.  
"Where are you going?" Rose called after her.  
"Out." Hermione replied as she slammed the front door shut. She ran through the trees into the forest plantation that was behind her aunt's large white house. With a loud 'crack' she disapparated into an alleyway near Severus Snape's house.

The alleyway was dark, damp and smelt of dead mice. Wrapping her coat around her and gripping her wand close to her side, Hermione stalked to the dungeon bat's house. She didn't care that it was almost past midnight, or that there was a seedy, drunk man following her with almost undead movements. She quickened her pace until she reached Snape's doorstep. Bringing a hand up she knocked loudly on the hardwood door, surprised when Minerva answered the door.  
"Hermione… What brings you here?" Minerva asked quietly, trying not to wake Annaliese.  
"Is Professor Snape home?" Hermione asked desperately, trying to see behind her former teacher.  
"No dear, he has gone out. I must insist, what is this all about?"  
"Where is his _daughter_?" Hermione ground out the word as if it were a hard pepper-corn.  
"How do you know abou-"  
"Granger, what are you doing here?" A deep snarl come from behind her. A familiar deep snarl. Hermione whirled around and come face to face with the bat of the dungeons.  
"What are you doing with my godchild?" She whispered harshly, looking up at him with accusing eyes.  
Looking a little taken aback Severus smirked, "I have no idea what you are talking about."  
"Don't lie to me, Snape. You have Annaliese." Hermione snarled at him.  
"Severus, don't lie to the girl. Tell her." Minerva frowned a little at him over Hermione's shoulder.  
"Could you give us some space, Minerva?" Snape said, still looking at the Granger-chit with distaste.  
With a huff, Minerva closed the door and walked into the living room to see Annaliese.

Looking up into Severus' eyes, Hermione saw anger, stress and worry.  
"How is she?" She asked softly.  
"Fine." Snape muttered softly, not willing to let Hermione know the truth.  
"No she isn't. You are stressed." Hermione commented, looking at him with a slight smirk.  
"Why are you here?"  
"I wish to see my god-daughter."  
"No." Snape told her sternly, turning to his front door to go inside.  
"Professor! Please… She's all I have left." Hermione whispered quietly, softly in defeat. Severus had never heard her defeated, even in his potions class when he refused to answer her questions.  
"Come back in the morning. 10am sharp. Don't be late Granger." He snarled, walking inside and slamming the door in her face.

_Godmother? Hermione Know-It-All Granger is my daughter's godmother? How does she know Imogen? Did she know what she was? And on top of that, how did the chit find out that I was Annaliese's father? _

Hermione left the house in a huff, stomping down the steps with long purposeful steps before returning to her dark, damp alleyway and disapparating with the signature sound. She was seething, stressed and upset. Definitely not a good combination with her PMS. _At least I get to see little Annie tomorrow. _She thought, walking to the back door and sneaking to her bedroom. Opening the bright white door, she noticed something stuck to it, a note. Rose must have stuck it there… The writing was familiar. Mean and black, skinny and full of harsh angles. Just like the owner of the writing.

_Miss Granger,  
If you have any information __regarding Annaliese's mother's death, be prepared to share them. I would like to find out everything I can about this so-called accident. Also be prepared to tell me how you knew her mother.  
Do not be late. _

_Severus Snape. _

Hermione took her long, tan coloured coat off and hung it over her desk chair, folding up the note she sat it down next to her quill and inkpot.

_Professor Snape,_

_I will tell you all you need to know, as long as you tell me how you knew Imogen._

_Hermione Granger. _

She called for her owl, Midnight. A black and coal-grey barn owl with the biggest brown eyes she had ever seen. Tying the letter to his leg, she sent him off, leaving the window open for his return. Hermione looked longingly at her large four-poster bed, a silver and deep burgundy duvet covering it with matching pillow cases and cushions. It looked warm and comfortable, much like her room at Hogwarts.

Hermione woke with a start, sitting up to check the time she saw that it was 9.45am.  
_Shit! _


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm late, I'm late! _Hermione thought as she leapt up out of bed, instantly missing the warmth. Her nerves were high and so were her stress levels. She ran through her room, gathering her clothes and other essential items before heading into the bathroom for a quick five-minute shower. Although the water calmed her tense muscles, she couldn't waste her time. After washing her hair, which was now dead-straight from the weight of the water, she stepped out and dried herself with a drying charm.  
She had nearly finished getting dressed when she looked at her feet. _Bollocks! Where in Merlin's name did I put my socks? _  
When Hermione found her socks, she unfolded them to find that they were odd, one green and one red. _How bloody ironic. _She spat inside her head.

It was 9.59am when she reached the Dungeon Bat's house. Her hair was pulled back into a side braid, a couple of curls escaping the confines of the hair elastic. She was wearing the large coat again, but with a dark grey pair of jeans and a black pair of converse shoes. Just casual. Neat casual.

Before her hand touched the door to knock, it was pulled open by an incredibly irate Severus Snape.  
"You were told to be here on time Granger." He snarled at her, his mouth curling into a sneer and his eyes as cold as ever.  
"I am on time. Or do you not have a clock, sir?" She snapped at him, making him even more irate.  
"I told you ten. You get here right on the dot. You should've been early."  
_There is no winning with him is there? If I was early he would've reprimanded me and if I was late I would've been hexed. Even when I am on time he is shitty. He needs to get his head out of his arse. _  
Hermione smirked to herself, trying not to snigger at the thought of Snape with his head up his butt.  
"Something funny?" He barked at her, making her stop sniggering.  
"Not at all Professor." She told him, smiling sweetly.  
With a soft huff, he opened the door wider. "In," He ordered her, "Give me your coat." He snapped again.  
Hermione looked around as she took off her coat, handing it to him absentmindedly as she looked around. It was just a passageway. Cream walls with patterned red and brown carpet, there were three doors: one a meter away from her on the left side, one next to that, one right down the end in front of her and another just before the right-hand corner. It was obvious that the passageway was an L shape. She wondered if Snape would take her around the corner or not, or whether they were to go through one of the doors.

Noticing her curiosity, Snape smirked to himself. _As if she is ever going to see behind any of those doors. _He started walking down the hallway, leaving the younger Gryffindor to follow. When they got to the bend in the passage, he opened the door on the right, letting her into the living room. Still asleep on the couch was Annaliese. Her arms wrapped around her Taska and wrapped snugly in her blanket. A soft blue pillow was under her head as she slept. Her jet black curls fanning out over it like the Thneed trees from The Lorax.

Hermione looked at the girl with soft warm eyes, tears threatening to spill as she looked at her. Severus looked at his daughter sleeping snugly. He hadn't slept. Nor had he found any information on Imogen's accident.

"Granger. Would you step into the kitchen? We need to talk while she sleeps." He told her quietly, yet sternly, trying not to wake the slumbering toddler.

Hermione nodded and wiped her tears away, following Severus into his kitchen. His house was immaculately clean and smelt of soft Peppermint and spice.  
"Coffee?" He asked her as he went to fill the kettle.  
"Please. White with two sugars." She said shortly, looking at him properly for the first time since the war. He looked good. His hair was still long, but back to mid-neck length. His neck had healed with minimal scarring. _Wow, I can actually see his whole neck.  
_Snape was wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt with black pants. The first two buttons were left undone for comfort. He was at home after all.

When he brought their coffees over to the table, he sat, indicating for Hermione to do so as well. She took a sip of her coffee, the warmth spreading throughout her body, thawing out her freezing toes.  
"Thanks." She mumbled softly, sipping at her coffee again.  
They were silent for a moment before Severus broke the ice.

"Miss Granger, how did you know Annaliese's mother?" He asked quietly, as if waiting for a horrible reaction.  
"I will tell you, if you tell me." Hermione told him firmly, looking up to meet his gaze.  
"I asked first." Snape drawled, looking at her with hard eyes.  
"I lived next door to her for a while. Back when I got my own house in London, I couldn't find one I liked. I chose one in Green Lanes. We met. We liked each other. We became friends." Hermione told him simply.  
"Did you know what she did as her job?"  
"She was a dance teach..." She began, but trailed off as soon as she saw Snape shaking his head.  
"She was a hooker, Miss Granger. Can you put two and two together now?"  
To say that Hermione was shocked was an understatement, but now that she thought about it, it was a little strange for a dance teacher to take classes at night. What made even more sense, was why Annaliese had 'no father'.  
"That... Makes sense now." She whispered, holding her cup close to herself.

HG/SS

When Annaliese woke, she heard a familiar voice. A familiar female voice. Not that lady with the funny voice from last night, but someone that sounded like mummy. Mummy's friend! She climbed off the couch, Taska in her arms, and walked into the kitchen. The big dark man was there. The one that made yummy tea and chocolate... stuff... She thought it was called poodging.  
Upon seeing Hermione, Annaliese walked up to her slowly.  
"Mummy?" She asked quietly, looking up at Hermione, surprising her.  
"Hello sweetheart." Hermione murmured, placing her coffee mug on the table to pick her up. A sad smile adorned the Gryffindor's face, and Severus noticed it all too well.  
"Annaliese, are you hungry?" He asked her softly, not wanting to scare the child again.  
"Noooo." She told him, clinging to Hermione.  
"Yes you are sweetie, listen, I can hear your tummy gurgling!" She exclaimed and tickling the toddler until loud giggles erupted from her. Snape stood there in shock, watching his daughter and ex-student laughing at the table.  
His eyes softened at the sight, but then went cold as Hermione looked at him.

_That's funny. I have never seen his eyes so soft... Maybe Annie is getting to him already.  
_  
Hermione looked up at Severus, "Professor, do you have any diapers for her? She needs to be changed."  
He nodded and told her where they were. When Hermione saw the nappy that Annie had on, she almost giggled. It was crooked, and giving the girl a wedgie. _Lucky she didn't do a poop. _Hermione thought, grinning as she changed her goddaughter.


	6. Chapter 6

After Hermione had changed the little girl's diaper, she picked her up gently and headed back into the kitchen. Sitting on the table was a nice warm bowl of porridge with a dollop of honey and two slices of banana on top.  
"Look Annie! Breakfast! Yummy!" Hermione told her, looking at her breakfast.  
"Oooh…" She said, reaching out to the table. Severus stood there watching them, his eyes darting between the young Gryffindor and the toddler.  
_Well… I got out of changing her diaper. Thank Merlin. I hate to know what will happen when she goes…. EW. _He shuddered visibly when he thought of changing a smelly diaper. Hermione noticed this movement and looked up at him with a thin, perfectly raised eyebrow. With a stern glare from Snape, she looked down at her goddaughter who was still reaching out to her breakfast.

Hermione put her gently into her high-chair and spoon fed the porridge to her. Testing the temperature on her lip before blowing on it gently to cool it. Little fingers reached into the bowl and pulled out a slice of banana.  
"Annie, can you say banana? Ba-na-na." Hermione asked softly, a small smile gracing her beautiful face.  
"B-bana." The toddler told her, giving her a porridge grin.  
Looking up at Severus, Hermione could see that he had a slight smirk on his face and his eyes were full of…. Something she couldn't name… It was soft, warm and maybe a little… glad.  
"No sweetie, banana. Ba-na-na." She stretched the word out again, but got the same result.

When breakfast was finished, Annaliese had porridge all over her face. She had decided halfway through Hermione feeding her that she wanted to feed herself. With a stubborn glare that could rival her father, she pouted her lips until Hermione would give her the spoon.

Before Hermione left, she changed Annaliese's diaper. A smelly one this time.  
_Damn Snape, you got out of it easy this time! _She growled as she put a new diaper on her. As she reached the front door to leave, she heard a loud cry, "Noooooooo!" Annaliese come running on wobbly legs around the corner of the passageway, screaming out to her god mother.  
Bending down, Hermione lifted her into her arms.  
"Shhh, it's alright sweetie, calm down." She whispered into the girl's black curls. Her hand was stroking her back and her lips were pressed to her forehead. Little whimpers escaped the child's tiny form as she buried her face into Hermione's neck.  
Severus came rushing around the corner, Taska in his right hand and worry etched in his usually harsh features.  
"You have to stay with your daddy." Hermione whispered, getting choked up. _She is just a little girl… Why did it have to happen to her? _She thought as she held her closely.  
"No." Annie whimpered as she shook her head, her curls bouncing as she did so.  
"Professor… Help." Hermione whispered as she looked at her former teacher. He stepped closer to her, hesitantly reaching out for his daughter.  
With coaxing movements, she moved Annaliese into her father's arms. Just as she was about to turn for the door, Severus cleared his throat.  
"I appreciate your help Miss Granger. I still have some unanswered questions I need to know the answer for." He told her, nodding curtly as she walked out of the house. As she walked away, Hermione could hear Annaliese cry and wail loudly.

HG/SS

When Hermione left, Annaliese let out a loud scream and reached for the door, trying to get out of her father's arms. "Shhh," He told her, stroking her hair and patting her back. A million thoughts were going through his head.  
_Why doesn't she like me? Am I a bad father? Maybe I should let her stay with Miss Granger… No Severus, don't be daft. She is your daughter, and therefore belongs with you. I need more information on Imogen. I should write to Granger. I can't believe the little chit had the nerve to refer to me as 'Daddy'…_

By the time Annaliese had stopped screaming, it was lunch time. Severus had conjured up some more toys for the toddler to play with while he made them some lunch. A ham and cheese toasted sandwich with half a bottle of apple juice.  
"Annaliese, lunch time." He told her as he walked into the living room. She was sitting happily with her toys, snuggled up to a big unicorn and flicking through the pages of a picture book. Taska was left sitting on the floor next to her legs.  
She looked up as he spoke and grinned. "Bana?"  
"No Anna, no banana… Maybe later." He added, seeing her bottom lip drop a little. She picked it up again when she saw her bottle of apple juice, and ran to the table. Severus gently picked her up and sat her down to eat. Before he gave it to her, he made sure it was cool enough to eat. Picking up a small triangle of her sandwich, Annie took a small bite, nodding in approval.  
"We need to give you a bath later, Annaliese." Severus told her seriously, "And then we will be going to London for some new clothing. Yours are far too small. You need some more diapers and other things."  
Annaliese grinned at her father, a huge cheesy grin as she took her bottle in her mouth and had some apple juice.

After lunch, Severus went to his study to get some parchment, ink, an envelope and a quill. Sitting down at the desk in the living room, he began to write.

_Miss Granger, _

_I am taking my daughter shopping for some new clothes; do you know what size she is? Imogen seems to have cut off all the tags. _

_Severus Snape. _


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione looked at the letter again; _He's buying her new clothes…. I hope he knows that she hates rough fabric… and doesn't like green… _

Taking a quill in her hand, she began to write back to Snape.

_Prof. Snape,  
I can come with you if you like. I know of some great clothing stores for toddlers. I will be at your house in five minutes._

_Hermione Granger. _

With that, she gave the letter to Midnight and watched as she flew away. Heading towards the front door, she took her house key, her coat and her handbag, and walked around to the back of her aunt's house. Taking long strides to reach the forest, she took out her wand and apparated back to the alleyway near Snape's house.

HG/SS

Severus stared at the letter, his brows furrowing in anger. _How dare the chit just invite herself along. Silly little know-it-all. Shut it Snape, you need her help and you know it! You don't have to be nice, just be civil. No! I will be as rude and brooding as I want to be... _He frowned even more upon realising that he was arguing with himself. He would let her go with them, but he would be as unpleasant as possible. Hearing a tiny giggle, Severus looked across at his daughter who was being entertained by non-popping bubbles floating around her. A small smile graced his face as he allowed himself to enjoy the moment.

His smile left as quickly as it came when he heard a sharp knock at the door. Picking Annaliese up in his arms, he answered the door and come face to face with a smiling Granger.  
_Oh great... An excited Gryffindor, yippee. _He thought sarcastically, putting a nice big sneer on his face and stepping aside to let her in. Annaliese squealed and reached out to her godmother, who was in the middle of taking her coat off.  
"Hello sweetie!" She smiled as she took the girl in her arms and pressed her lips to her forehead.  
An impatient drawl broke her from her smile, "Miss Granger, we are leaving in precisely half an hour. I just have to get properly clothed for the Muggle World. Take Annaliese into the living room. Don't touch anything." He snapped.  
"Yes sir," She smiled and walked past him with Anna in her arms, opening the living room door and closing it behind her.

Once the two girls were alone, Hermione finally took the chance to look at her god daughter. She was well dressed. A pair of black leggings, a grey dress with a white long-sleeved top underneath and black boots on her feet. When Severus came into the room, Hermione was sitting cross-legged in the floor playing with Annaliese. She had her back to him and as she leaned down, a little bit of charcoal coloured lace was visible, making Snape gawk at her lower back. _Stop gawking you idiot! _He mentally cursed himself.  
Annaliese looked up and smiled at her father, making Hermione turn around and look at him.  
_Damn... So that is what he had hidden under those robes! _She looked him up and down, trying to be discrete but failing miserably.  
He was wearing a pair of well fitted, black jeans, black leather shoes and a tight, long-sleeved black shirt.

"If you are done gawking Miss Granger, I would like to get going." Severus smirked, crossing his arms to make his arms look bigger and his chest look broader.  
"Y-yes sir," Hermione stuttered, standing up and taking Annaliese in her arms. "Come on little one, we're going to get you some new clothes." She told the girl softly.

Severus tried not to look at Hermione as she walked to the end of the passageway, after what he'd just seen inside her pants, he would never look at her the same way. _Lace... Frilly lace... In the shape of a thong... Shut up Severus! Snap out of it! _

Hermione looked back at Severus as he took their coats off the coat stand. He handed her, her own coat and then transfigured a hat into a red coat for his daughter. Severus watched as the young Gryffindor helped Annaliese into her coat before putting her own on and waiting for him to put on his. He transfigured his old cloak into a leather jacket and slipped it on, leaving it undone.  
"Are we apparating?" Hermione asked him shyly.  
Snape nodded curtly and offered his arm to side-along apparate. "Close your eyes sweetheart." Hermione whispered to Annaliese as she held her close. Taking Snape's offered arm, she gripped it tightly and held on. The familiar pull came, and suddenly she was whirling into an alleyway. As they come to a stop she heard Annaliese giggle. Hermione stumbled as they stopped, still gripping to her former teacher for support. Steadying herself, she began to walk with Annaliese in her arms.

The first shop they went to was a baby shop; they looked around, but after a while decided to get a few pairs of socks, some white and black stockings and a pair of black, shiny, dress shoes. The next shop they went to they got her two pairs of pyjamas, a pink pair of Piglet pyjamas and a white pair of flannelette pyjamas. They got her some new toys, some books, some skirts and pants, more leggings and tops, some jumpers and a jacket. Hermione was having the time of her life; the look of disgust on Snape's face was priceless whenever she'd pick up something he didn't like. He snorted a couple of times and just downright glared at other times.

"I need to get her diapers and some other stuff." He said casually, but trying to hide the fact that he didn't know where to get them and what type to get.  
"Well, we'll go to the supermarket and pick up some nappies for her; I will show you the ones to get and then you should be right." Hermione told him simply.  
_Know-it-all. _Snape thought with a smirk.

When they got back to Snape's house, Annaliese had fallen asleep in her father's arms. Hermione took the clothes into the living room, took all of the tags off them and folded them into neat piles. Just as Severus was about to put Annaliese on the couch to sleep, Hermione transfigured his couch into a cot for the young girl.  
"I have put her clothes in piles. I will buy some stuff for her bedroom when I get paid. Let me know if she needs anything."  
"Miss Granger, you may be her godmother, but I am her father. I will decide what goes into her bedroom. I don't want her turning into an insolent little Gryffindor." He snapped quietly.  
"Fine. Next time you want help, don't bother asking me!" Hermione snapped back, getting dangerously close to her ex-professor.  
"I will bring those newspaper articles for you to read." She then told him as she headed for the front door, "Goodnight Professor."  
Snape nodded curtly and watched her leave. Leaning over the edge of the cot to tuck his daughter in, he pressed a kiss to her curls and sat down in his armchair with a sigh.


	8. Chapter 8

While Annaliese slept, Severus went into the spare bedroom. He looked around; it was dark, cold and reeked of old people. Taking out his wand, he pointed it at the dank, dark green curtains, he transfigured them into white venetian blinds, next was the walls. They were painted a very pale pink, with another flick of his wand, a beautiful white dandelion appeared, as if the wind were taking it's seeds away, the seeds eventually turned into butterflies, flying up towards the ceiling.

Smirking at his good effort, Severus transfigured the old bed already in there, into a white double bed. With another swish, there was a pale blue duvet with pink doves on it covering the bed and extra cushions and pillows spread across it. In one corner Severus put a white bookshelf, summoning her books and putting them in there. In the other corner Severus transfigured a coin into a nice white play kitchen with utensils, pans, pots and plenty of pretend food.

On a shelf stuck to the wall, he placed all of her teddies. It was low enough for her to reach, but too high for her to climb. On her floor, Severus turned the dark green carpet into thick creamy-coloured woollen carpet. When he thought he was done, he looked up.

_Shit... Whose stupid idea was it to put a drawstring light in here? Bugger that for a joke. _Snape cursed inwardly. Pointing his wand at the light, it turned into a switch. Still not happy with his work, he gave her a chandelier, a beautiful pale pink and crystal one. With another look at the room, Severus sniffed. _Still smells of old people... My grandmother. _Snape visibly shivered as he remembered his grandmother. Old, mean, grumpy and looked like a hag. With a swish of his wand, the bedroom smelt of Tea Rose, a scent he had become partial to after the war. Breathing it in, he felt calm and contented.

Finally sensing that he was done, he closed the bedroom door. As he walked away, he flicked his wand at the door. In beautiful gold print the words _Annaliese's Bedroom _were printed on the door. Smirking at his wonderful efforts he went into the living room to check on his daughter.

_She looks so peaceful... and comfortable. I really hope I am a better father than my father was. I wonder if I can get her to say dad... _

Once again, Severus dozed off in his chair while watching his daughter sleep. His shoulders were slumped and his head down as he snored softly. Sometime during the night he felt a weight on his lap and something poking him. When he opened his eyes, he was face to face with his daughter who was looking very worried.  
"Hello sleepy head," He murmured softly, so as not to scare the child. She smiled at him a little and took his hand. With a soft tug, she tried to pull him up off the chair. Understanding what she was trying to do, Severus stood up and let her lead him to the kitchen.  
"Are you hungry, Miss Anna?" He asked her.  
"Bana!" She replied happily.  
Severus smiled and took out a banana, cutting it up into little pieces and getting her a bottle of milk.  
As soon as the food and milk was put in front of her she began eating. Soon enough, banana was smooshed on her face and all over her hands. Reaching for her milk, she took a big slurp.  
"Can you say milk?" Severus asked her, smiling a little.  
"M-Miluk!" She giggled, taking another slurp.  
_She must be thirsty..._ The older Slytherin smiled as his daughter mispronounced the word.  
"What about dad? Can you say dad?" He asked hopefully.  
"Da...Dad!" She grinned at her father.

_This is going to be easy after all. _Severus thought to himself with a smug smile. As soon as Annaliese was finished, he cleaned her hands and face and then took her into the living room to change into her pyjamas.  
As he was sorting through her new clothes, he heard a grunting. Looking over to his daughter, he saw her red faced and grunting as if she were pushing out a- _Shit! No Annaliese! Not now! _He thought as he stood up, took her in his arms and frantically raced to the toilet. He thought he'd made it in time... But it was too late. There in the bottom of her nappy, was a huge, brown torpedo. Snape blanched. Taking her into the bathroom, he accioed the wipes and began wiping her bottom.

_Easy? My ass. You jinxed yourself Severus. _He thought as he cleaned away the poop and put a clean nappy on her. Finally, now that all of the drama was over, he dressed his little girl in her Piglet pyjamas and put her back on the couch.  
"I am going to teach you more words now." He told her. Quickly, he went into the kitchen, grabbing her bottle, some food, and a book.  
When he sat back down, he sat on the floor.

Pointing to each object, he made sure she was paying attention.  
As he pointed to the bottle he told her, "Drink. Dr-ink." Waiting for her to repeat it, he smiled to himself.  
He did the same with the other objects, as well as teaching her the difference between yes, and no.

When Annaliese finally yawned again, it was 9.00pm. Bed time for her.  
"Bed time!" Severus told her, taking her hand and sitting her on the couch.  
"Yes!" She smiled, snuggling into his chest.  
This movement made his heart swell and a certain warmth spread throughout his body. Nobody had ever touched him this way. Nobody had ever wanted to snuggle up to him, or cuddle him, or anything of the sort. Without even realising it, he was beginning to love her. Soon enough, soft snores were coming from both of them; snuggled up, warm, asleep on the couch.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: A huge thank you to Kissmegorgous for helping me with this chapter, I really appreciate it. If any of you have some ideas for the story, please PM me and share your ideas!**

This was how Minerva found them in the morning, snuggled up on the couch, nice and warm. Severus still in his day clothes and Annaliese in her pyjamas, the Headmistress looked at them with a gentle smile and summoned a blanket for them. Putting the blanket over them, she went into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee.  
_Severus is coming along quite nicely... I wonder if he sorted out his issues with Miss Granger. _

Hearing a groan coming from the living room, Minerva took the coffee in her hands and opened the door. Seeing Minerva, Severus groaned more.  
"I just got rid of one Gryffindor!" He whined sleepily, frowning deeply.  
Minerva snorted a little, "Oh, did Miss Granger pay you a visit?"  
"A visit? She stayed the whole bloody day!" He snapped, but was cut short when he heard a tiny yawn from someone resting on his chest. With a soft smile at the young girl, Minerva sat Severus' strong, black coffee on the coffee table beside the arm chair.  
"She spent the whole day? Did you find any information on your girl's mother?"  
"Miss Granger is going to bring some newspaper articles regarding the accident, next time she comes to see Annaliese." Severus told the older woman.  
"Oh I see, well I hope the articles bring some better insight to your daughter's problems. How is she?" Minerva asked, looking gently at the young girl curled up in her former colleague's arms.  
"Better. She is settling in a little. Her vocabulary is developing, so now she can tell me what she wants, instead of screaming." He resisted the urge to run his fingers through his daughter's silky curls. Pulling the blanket up over her small body, he sat up more.

Annaliese's eyes popped open in terror and a scream threatened to escape. With a quick movement, Severus was stroking her curls gently, calming her down as she familiarised herself with her surroundings. Turning around, dark blue eyes met black and Annaliese smiled. A full on grin.  
"Dad." She whispered croakily as she snuggled back into his chest.

Minerva watched the unfolding scene with smiling eyes and hands clasped at her mouth. Fondness filled Severus' eyes as he watched his daughter bury her face into his chest. Then, realising that he had a guest, he picked her up in his arms and walked slowly into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.  
"Minerva, could you change her nappy?" He asked quietly, a little embarrassed at not being apt at it yet.  
With a small nod, Minerva gently took Annaliese from his arms and took her into the living room to change her wet nappy.

While they were gone, Severus set to making Annaliese's breakfast. It was sliced banana on toast with a bottle of milk. Just as he was putting her breakfast on the table, Annaliese walked in with Minerva on her trail.  
Minerva had hardly changed since the battle; she stood straight with her head held high, her hair in that neat knot at the back of her head, a few loose strands escaping here and there. One thing had changed though; the stern look that was nearly always adorning her face had been replaced by a happy smile.

"Food?" Annaliese asked quietly, looking up at Severus expectantly.  
"On the table." He told her as he lifted her up gently, sitting her in her seat and allowing her to feed herself.

"Does she have a bedroom yet Severus?" Minerva asked him, raising her eyebrows in a motherly, yet nosey fashion.  
"Gryffindors. No subtlety." Severus rolled his eyes as he watched the older witch raise her eyebrows further. "Yes, she has a bedroom; she just hasn't seen it yet."  
Minerva smiled a little and turned her gaze to Annaliese whose face was covered in smooshed banana and toast crumbs.  
"Well, I best leave you and your daughter alone. Floo me if you need anything." Minerva smiled and headed for the fireplace, flooing back to her quarters at Hogwarts.

Severus sat down next to Annaliese drinking his coffee, watching his daughter with curious eyes. She met his gaze with an equally curious look in her eyes. Leaning forward, she reached out with her food-covered hand, trying to get him to come closer. Taking out his wand, Severus silently cleaned the mess and leant forward to his daughter.  
"You need to drink your milk, Annaliese." He told her, his voice soft yet stern.  
The toddler nodded and took her bottle, drinking her milk slowly as if she were savouring the taste.

When breakfast was finished Severus lifted his daughter out of her chair and set her on her feet.  
"Annaliese, would you like to see your new bedroom?" The dark man asked his little girl. An excited smile crossed her face as she took his hand, expecting him to lead her into her bedroom. He held her hand gently and lead her up to her door, opening it and allowing her to run inside excitedly.

Annaliese's curls bounced slightly as she ran into her new bedroom, immediately heading for the kitchen corner where all of her books were stacked on a small bookshelf. Taking out book after book she arranged them into the order that she wanted, completely oblivious to her father standing in the doorway with an amused expression on his face. Turning to face her kitchen, she let out an excited squeal as she opened the refrigerator. It was stocked with vegetables, drinks, meat, pizza slices, cakes, and many other varieties of food. Opening a draw, she let out another excited shriek as she saw eating utensils. Her little hands closed the draw gently as she went over to her bed and struggled to climb on top of it. Rolling around on top of her bed, Annaliese looked up at her light and gasped slightly.  
"Oooh!" she whispered, pointing to it with a smile.

Severus watched Annaliese discover her bedroom, a small satisfied smile adorning his face.  
"Do you like it?" He asked softly, coming to sit beside her on her bed.  
Annaliese nodded, crawling over to her father and sitting herself on his lap. Looking around her bedroom, her eyes caught sight of something bright. Her eyes flicked back to it and a scream was ripped from her throat. A startled Severus picked her up in his arms and tried to take her out of the room. As soon as he got close to the door, she'd scream louder and point to the shelf. There were three teddies and a clown. A clown whose face looked like it had been in a horror film.  
_Funny, I didn't put this in here. _

As soon as Severus looked at it, it changed shape and turned into a large serpent that resembled Nagini. Annaliese clutched to her father in fear as Severus took out his wand and muttered, "Ridikkulus."  
The snake zipped through the air and into a chest at the end of his daughter's bed.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: I apologise sincerely for taking so long to update. School has been hell! I apologise even further if this chapter is a little off and out of character, I will fix it up when I get a chance. Thank you to all you patient people. Much love to you all. Remember, if you have any ideas, PM me and I will try my hardest to include them! **

An hour later and Annaliese was still shaking with fear in Severus' arms, her hands clutching tightly at the front of his shirt as she whimpered softly. Her cries had only just become a whimper when Severus placed his hand soothingly on her back, rubbing it with gentle care as his eyes darted around the room, looking for more safety hazards.

_A boggart in my house? Nagini is my worst fear? Merlin. What in the world has happened to me?_

Severus started thinking of all the possibilities, ways to make his daughter's room safer than a vault at Gringotts, but was soon interrupted by a small pair of hands playing with his hair, twisting it, twirling it, weaving it until he turned and looked at Annaliese with a curious expression. The look on her face surprised him when he looked at her; she was giving him a stern glare, one that would rival his own glare. Her tear stained face looking completely adorable as she frowned, as if daring him to move away and tell her not to play with his hair.

She was beginning to grow on him, weaving herself into his heart. Although Severus was blind to this, it was crystal clear to anybody that looked in from the outside.

A sharp knock at the front door broke Annaliese's glare as she slid down from her father's lap, ran out of her room and straight towards the front door, leaving Severus trailing along behind her. He wasn't expecting anyone... Was he? Opening the door, he snarled in distaste as he saw a bushy brown mass of hair and heard his daughter squeal with glee.

_Great, the Granger chit is here. _

"Hello Professor!" Hermione smiled in a bright cheery tone, much too cheery for Severus' taste, but Annaliese seemed to love it. She had a cheeky little grin on her face as Hermione tickled the young girl's sides, earning a wild cackle of happiness. Lifting the girl into her arms she walked inside, handing her bag and coat to Severus as he closed the door, bewildered, after her.

"Have you set up Anna's room yet?" she asked, looking up from her spot where she was knelt on the floor picking his daughter up in her arms.  
"Yes." He ground out, wondering whether she had the right to ask something like that. It sure sounded as if she was demanding that Annaliese's bedroom had been decorated and finished.  
"May I see it?" She asked eagerly, looking at the girl in her arms with an adoring smile.  
"No." He said shortly, slightly wary of the Boggart.  
"Why?" Hermione asked, demanding to know why she couldn't see her Goddaughter's bedroom. Her foot stomped on the floor like a child and Severus had to refrain from smirking.  
"Because it is my house, and there are certain rooms I will allow my guests to enter. Bedrooms are not one of them." He allows a small, snide smirk to cross his features before turning and walking into the living room, leaving Hermione to follow with Annaliese giggling in her arms.

Hermione had been there for two hours now, playing with her goddaughter, tickling her until giggles were exploding from her tiny body as she turned bright red from laughter. She was an exhausted little munchkin by the time Hermione had finished playing and now they sat on the couch while the older girl read a book.

"And Pooh said, 'There is a rumbly in my tumbly!'" Hermione whispered softly as she watched Annaliese's big blue-black eyes fall closed softly. She let out a tiny sigh as she stood up and lifted the tiny girl in her arms, gently cradling her to her body as she walked into the kitchen to where Severus was sitting at the table reading a newspaper and drinking what she assumed to be coffee.

"You should never assume, Miss Granger. It is hot chocolate." He murmured, not looking up from his paper.  
Clearing her throat a little, Hermione felt a blush rising in her cheeks. "Uh, Anna is asleep sir. Shall I put her to bed?"  
"Yes, thank you." He muttered softly, trying not to turn around to look at his daughter asleep in Hermione's arms.

Hermione turned softly and walked down the passageway, stifling a gasp when she opened the door to Annaliese's bedroom. She was completely surprised by what her bedroom looked like, expecting dark or boring colours, not something that would suit a little girl. Walking over to the bed, she pulled the duvet back gently and laid the girl down on it. She tried to pull away, but Annaliese had her fingers wound into Hermione's top, not wanting to let her go. With a small sigh, Hermione crossed her fingers that Severus wouldn't be mad at her if she were to lay down with his daughter for a little while. The bed did look warm and inviting, and she was awfully tired. Sighing a little, Hermione put her head on the pillow next to Annaliese's and watched the young girl sleep peacefully in her arms.

_Granger is taking a while. Maybe she went home. She is probably inspecting the bedroom, the nosy chit. _Severus grumbled to himself while he stalked down the passageway and into his daughter's room. There on the bed was Hermione Granger and his daughter fast asleep, cuddled up to one-another. The sight made Severus' heart melt, as he stood in the doorway admiring the way the little girl and her godmother were cuddled so perfectly together. As if sensing that someone was watching them Hermione's eyes opened sleepily, taking in her surroundings, and then realising where she was and what she was doing, popped open wide.  
"Professor Snape... I am so sorry. Annaliese was holding my shirt, so I just–" Hermione was stopped by Severus putting his hand up.  
"I understand." He said shortly, turning abruptly and stalking back to the kitchen, leaving a baffled Hermione.

When he sat back down at the table, Severus let out a soft sigh. What the hell was he doing? Why did he just stand there and watch them sleeping? Hermione was an undeniably beautiful witch, but she was annoying, demanding and a know-it-all. Even if Annaliese did adore her, she wouldn't have any interest in him so he needed to keep a safe distance just in case his 'mini Severus' decided that Hermione Know-It-All Granger was a good suitor to play 'hide the sausage' with.

_Merlin, when did I get so soft and mushy? Harden up Snape! _


End file.
